A Sandwich A Day: Catfish Special at Wayfare in New Orleans

In this great country of ours, one could eat a different sandwich every day of the year—so that's what we'll do. Here's A Sandwich a Day, our daily look at sandwiches around the country. Got a sandwich we should check out? Let us know.—The Mgmt.

[Photograph: Abby McCartney]

A few years ago, Freret Street in New Orleans was a run-down stretch lined with vacant storefronts. Then came a craft cocktail bar (Cure) and a neighborhood market, sparking a renaissance that has made Freret the place to be for eaters and drinkers. One of the newest arrivals to this up-and-coming scene is the month-old Wayfare, which offers soups, salads, and sandwiches in an elegant atmosphere.

On a recent Friday, the daily special was a catfish sandwich (perfect for those observing Lent). The fish was as tender and salty as anything you would find at a classic church fish fry, but it shared the spotlight with a slaw of apple, mango, and red cabbage, which added some contrasting crunch and sweetness. The vinegary Carolina-style barbecue sauce and piquant aioli brought some peppery, tart heat. The resulting bite was spicy, salty, and sweet in equal measure.

Wayfare's sandwiches are served with homemade potato chips, which are tasty and all, but I would have happily traded them for a huge stack of the house-made bread-and-butter pickles, which are sweet, crunchy, and fresh enough to eat all by themselves. Three of them came as a garnish with my plate. It wasn't nearly enough.

Wayfare Handcrafted Food and Spirits

About the author: A native Texan, Abby McCartney now lives, works, and eats in New Orleans, where she teaches high school math by day and explores the city's rich food culture by night. She makes a mean chocolate chip pecan pie, loves avocado on everything, and is learning to like yogurt.

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